3 1/2 Year old-Turbo Booster Seat?

Regardless of height, children that are under 40 lbs must be in a 5-point harness, according to Oklahoma state law. We have the Safety 1st car seat that goes to 65 lbs and 50 in, because my daughter outgrew her regular car seat by height, not weight.

Try the Britax car seats....expensive but worth every penny. My daughter just outgrew hers and moved to a booster but we really loved the Britax!

I would use the 5pt harness as long as you can!

I personally like the kind that is the second stage carseat that converts to a booster seat later. We have the Graco version for my daughter, who is almost 4. We upgraded her when she was three and a half or so, and it took a few weeks to adjust to using the car's seatbelt and shoulder strap but now she loves it. The kind we have has a shoulder guide for the shoulder strap to keep it from cutting into her neck. It also has two drink holders and two snack trays, plus a light for her to read by at night. It came from Wal-Mart and was less than a hundred dollars. We like it so much we bought another one for the grandparents to use.

If possible, keep your little ones rear facing until the height or weight limits of the seat. This is the safest way for children in the 5 point car seats to ride. If your baby is outgrowing the baby bucket seat and you're a low income family, call the local police non-emergency line or the health department to see if there is a free car seat program in your area. If you have a convertible seat that the older baby is riding in, switch it back to rear facing for the baby and get the older child a car seat with a 5 point harness that converts into a high backed booster seat with the belt positioners. Your older child will need the harness until at least 40 pounds and age 4. Some children older than 4 still need that harness in order to ride safely even if they are 40# because of their maturity. If you don't qualify for a free seat through your local government, call you car insurance provider. Many companies offer free seats or discounts/rebates toward safety seats for your children. Just don't use a used seat unless you know the person very well and know that the seat hasn't been in an accident or been abused. Your child's safety is worth not cheaping out on a seat.

Hey C.! Arkansas law states that a child has to be 4 years old AND 40 pounds to be in a booster seat. I wouldn't put her in it if I were you. In addition to possibly getting a ticket, it isn't as safe as a 5 point harness. We're having a battle in my house because my 7 year old doesn't want to sit in a booster, but she has to anyway. The law about that is 6 years and 60 pounds. She's only 50 pounds right now, so she may be in a booster until she's 9! Oh well, it makes me feel better to know that I'm doing everything I can to keep her safe, even if she doesn't always like it.

Have a great day!

It should also depend on her height. If she is not tall enough, the booster seat will not work. I kept my daughter in a 5pt restraint until she was 4 years old. She however, is tall and the seat belt is at her shoulder, not her ear or neck. I hope this helps!

I did not switch my daughter until she was 4, but she is almost 6 and still only weighs 37 pounds. Each child is different, but we did it out of necessity (she was unbuckling herself from the car seat, and could not unbuckle the regular seatbelt yet)but I wish we had waited a little longer. I am waiting as long as I can on switching my twins because they are smaller.

We had one that was just the booster seat and found out they weren't really safe until 40 pounds even though some of them say 30 pounds so we got a booster with a back that can come off later. We found that our 3 year old was much more comfortable because he had something to rest his head against when he fell asleep. Hope this helps!

hey C.! I just upgraded my 4 year old from the britax marathon to the britax regent (because our baby will need a big girl carseat before too long)...it was about $235, but my husband and i thought that the safety of a 5 pt harness was important still...this carseat should last her until she doesn't need a seat anymore. Plus i am a personal fan of britax carseats! good luck!

Check out the following book, Toddler Bargains or Baby Bargains. Great breakdown of the best seats (be it harness or booster). This book is the best investment I ever made.

I had a hard time with deciding with my almost 5 year old (in a few days) and I went on the side of safety. I purchased one at Walmart that went to 80 pounds with a 5 point harness, simply because I felt that they are much safer in an accident and also for the fact that I dont think children at 4 or even 5 are mentally ready to stay in the flimsy seatbelts. We tried a regular booster for a while, but he was always playing with the belt and if he fell asleep it looked to be the utmost uncomfortable position in the world. Plus with the way cars are made these days (fiberglass and all) and with teh side airbags in some, keeping them tight in a seat seemed safer in my opinion. Hope this helps a bit....

I was having the same problem about a year or so ago. I called a friend of mine who referred me to a lady who works for the State of Louisiana. She actually gives classes on car seat safety. She said that in LA by law your child should be in a 5 point harness until they way atleast 40 pounds. She said you should leave them in one as long as possible. My son turned four in December and we still have him in a five point harness. Better to be safe than sorry. Hope this helps.

1st point:

You need to check the laws in your state. That will determine if your child weighs enough, or is tall enough, to be in a booster.
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2nd point:

We put K in a booster seat at her proper weight and she did fine. The only problem is making sure YOU plan ahead so your child will have enough time to buckle themselves. I take a child to day care and she is as helpless as they come. I refuse to buckle her because if I offer a reward for her to buckle she does it within a few seconds. She can do it herself but wants to be waited on. So I often site 10 minutes while I wait for this child to buckle. This childs parents do everything for her, even take her to the bathroom, and she is nearly 5 years old.
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Anyway, every child is different. Every state has different laws...some states say "6 yrs. old or 60 lbs" and some say "8 yrs. old or 80 lbs" for car seats/boosters. It really depends on how much longer you'll need the seat as to which one you purchase. The one we use now would work up to 60 lbs or even 80 lbs, but the one we have for J would not work for a child over 45 lbs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Hey C....this is a video of how important a carseat is with a five point harness.

This will be very hard to watch!

Hope this helps,
W.

Here is a safety test to see if your child qualifies for the booster: http://www.southflorida.com/sfparenting/sfe-sfp-booster-s...

I agree with 40 lbs. and 4 years of age as the minimum to switch to a booster. The limits put on the booster seat do not match the state laws. Children are much, much safer staying in a 5 pt. as long as they can.

I purchased a booster for my son who will be 3 in April. We got it a couple of weeks ago and we both love it. He met the height and weight requirements, and as long as your daughter does to, then it should be safe for you to switch her to a booster. I would advise you to check the law just in case, but most states only have laws which say that they must be in some type of child restraint.

This was passed on to me a few weeks ago. I think it's important for you to watch. It may help you make the decision about a new car seat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

Hi C..
My son just turned 4 in January so we went through this same thing. They need a 5 point harness until they are 40 pounds then it goes to the seat that allows for a seatbelt to be used. As for the 11 months old. They have to be in a rear-facing carseat with a 5 point harness until they are 12 months old then they can be faced forward. I have a 10 1/2 month old so I've done a bunch of research.
I know I probably sound a little preachy, but I get really nervous about kids not being in the proper carseat. It can save their lives. I hope this helped.

5 pt harness is safest. Regular seat belt have a significantly higher failure rate. Use the 5 pt as long as you can.-S.

I took the 40 hour course to become a certified carseat technician for a volunteer group. My first advice is not to have your 11 month old forward facing until he/she is at LEAST 12 months AND 20 pounds. I kept my youngest rear facing until she was 18 months. In a crash, rear facing is so much safer. Their necks do not have the muscle strength to withstand the forces of a frontal collision. If you are planning to use the 3.5 year old's seat and it is a convertible (one that can be rear or forward facing) that is fine as long as it has not been in an accident and is preferably not older than 5-6 years(10 years is the max, but stretching it). I use the turbo booster for my 5 year old and 8 year old. The 8 yr old is short and it makes the seatbelt fit properly. Without the back, the turbo booster is only rated for children above 40 lbs. I have a 32 lb. 3.5 year old and have her in a 5 point harness. I plan to try to keep her in that seat until she is 40 pounds. There are some seats, known as combination seats, that have a 5 point harness that can be removed and then the seat is used as a booster. You can also get good advice and have a trained technician check your seats (for proper installation and recalls) by calling UAMS. I hope that helps.

Absolutely your child needs a 5 point harness!!! Kids at this age have heavy heads compared to their body weight and don't have enough trunk strength to control it in a crash. You risk a spinal cord injury without one. The current recommendations are leaning toward 5-point harnesses until age 8 even. One other reason...when your child reaches the "terrible" 2s, the 5 point harness will really help keep him from sneaking out of his seat or reaching stuff you don't want him to. I highly recommend Britax seats.

Hi C.. I am a labor and delivery nurse and have had to take several classes on car seat safety. It totally depends on weight and height, not age. Most seats with the 5-point harness are designed for children up to 40-50 lbs, depending on what seat you have. Although it seems safer to put them in a 5-point harness, if they exceed the weight limit then the opposite is true because the harness could break during an accident. If your child is in the 40-50 lb. weight range then I would definitely suggest putting her in a booster!! Another thing you want to consider is if your childs shoulders are taller than the tallest position on the 5-point harness seat you have. Forward facing children need the shoulder belt to come 2 inches above the shoulder, so if she is taller than that she needs a different seat. Feel free to e-mail me if you have an questions and I'd be happy to answer them for you. My e-mail is ____@____.com .